Push button presser bar release

ABSTRACT

A linkage arrangement operating on the presser bar assembly to facilitate the release and controlled descent of the presser foot, or the limited ascent of the presser foot upon the operator&#39;&#39;s depressing a lever readily accessible from the front of the sewing machine and immediately adjacent to the sewing area.

United States Patent Adams 1 June 13, 1972 [541 PUSH BUTTON PRESSER BAR3,093,101 6/1963 Foltis et a]. ..112/237 RELEASE 3,141,430 7/1964Kagiyama ..112/237 [72] Inventor: Kenneth D. Adams, Madison, NJ.

I Primary Examiner-Patrick D. Lawson [73 Asslgnee: The smger Company NewYork Attorney-Marshall J. Breen, Chester A. Williams, Jr. and 22 Filed:May 25, 1971 Robert Smith 21 Appl. No.: 147,100

[57] ABSTRACT I [52] U.S. Cl ..1l2/237 A linkage arrangement Operatingon the P esser ba assembly [5 1] Int. Cl. ..D05b 29/00 to facilitate therelease and controlled descent of the presser Field of Search /235, 2foot, or the limited ascent of the presser foot upon the opera- 1 12/240tors depressing a lever readily accessible from the front of the sewingmachine and immediately adjacent to the sewing area.

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Mayer ..1 12/237 6 Claims, 6Drawing Figures PATENTEDJUNIBWZ v 3.669.050

SHEET 1 OF 2 INVENTOR. Kenneth D. Adams wgTNEss I 2434M 1DMM5[ ATTORNEYPATENTEDJUH13 I972 3. 669.050 sum 2 or 2 INVENTOR. Kenneth D. AdamsWITNESSI BY AA? )W DW ATTORNEY PUSH BUTTON PRESSER BAR RELEASE IBACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Sewing machines normally have the presserbar lifting lever located in theback of the machine to simplify theconstruction of the presser bar assembly by locating all the parts ofthis assembly in one area. A sewer having positioned the cloth under theraised presser foot is required to free one hand to reach behind thesewing machine to manipulate this lever to lower the presser foot.Frequently, the cloth will have to be repositioned because of somemovement while being held by only one hand. In other machines the leverhas been made more accessible by locating it closerto the sewing area,either on the front of the sewing machine or protruding from the side ofthe sewingmachine head. In these machines, the problem still exists inthat raising or lowering the presser foot generally entails sufficientmovement of one hand of the operator or the application of sufficientforce that she mustfree one hand from the work. I

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object therefore of the invention toprovide a presser bar release system located immediately adjacent to thesewing area.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a presser bar releasesystem which may be actuated by an operator by using only one fingerwhile the other fingers continue to control work fabric.

It is a still further object of the invention to allow thecontrolledlowering of the presser foot in response to movement of an operatorsfingertip.

A still further object of the'invention is to allow for minorrepositioning of the fabric under the. presser foot without requiringthe operator to free more than the finger of one hand from the workadjacent to the presser foot.

Another object of the invention is to provide a presser bar releaseassembly which can be composed of a minimum number of inexpensive parts.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a cross sectional'view ofthe bracket arm portion of a sewing machine'having a preferred form ofthis invention applied thereto and showing the presserfoot in thedownposition.

FIG. 2 is a view of the operative elements of the presser bar releasesystem as shown in FIG. 1, but with the presser foot shown in the raisedposition.

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but with the presser bar shown in thereleased position-and indicating the manner in which the descent of thepresser foot may be controlled.

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of the bracket arm portion of a sewingmachine having a modified form of this invention applied thereto andshowing the presser foot in the down position.

FIG. 5 is a view of the operative elements of the presser bar releasesystem shown in FIG. 4, illustrating the presser foot in the raisedposition.

FIG. 6 Ba view similar to FIG. 5, but showing the presser bar in thereleased position and indicating the manner in which the descent of thepresser foot may be controlled.

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIRST EMBODIMENT In FIG. 1 is shown an embodiment ofthe invention in the hollow sewing head portion 11 of a conventionalsewing machine. The head portion 11 carries a needle bar 12. and

overhangs a work supporting throat plate 13 through which projects aconventional feed dog 14 of a work feeding mechanism. Opposing the feeddog 14 is a presser foot 15 carried by a pivot pin 16 on a presser footshank 17 which is formed with seat 18 embracing a slabbed portion 19 ofa presser bar 20 and secured in place thereon by knurled clamp screw 21.The presser bar is journaled in a bushing portion 22 of a needle barframe 28 affixed to the sewing head portion 11 by screws 23. Secured tothe presser bar above the bushing portion 22 and within the hollowsewing head by a set screw 24 is a block 25 formed with a tang 29embraced in a slot formed between the needle bar frame 28 and the sewinghead portion 11 to prevent turning of the presser bar and presser foot.A presser bar lifting cam 26 having attached thereto a presser barlifting lever arm 30 is affixed to a stud shaft 27 journaled in thesewing head portion 11 and needle bar frame 28, and is located directlybeneath the block 25 to cooperate with the block when the presser barlifting lever arm 30 and cam 26 are rotated, to elevate the presser bar20 and consequently the presser foot 15 for removal and replacement ofwork material therebeneath. The presser bar 20 is formed with anupwardly open axial bore 31 within which is disposed a coil spring 32which seats at its lower extremity against the bottom of the bore. Atits upper extremity the coil spring 32 is constrained against a shoulder33 on a shiftable abutment member 41 which fits snugly into the axialpresser bar bore 31. At its upper end the shiftable abutment member 41is formed with offset and outturned arms 34 terminating in a followerfinger which is restrained in a peripheral groove in a spiral camelement 35 on a pressure regulating member 36 supported by a bracketafiixed to the needle bar frame 28. Downward force is applied to thepresser bar 20 by means of the coil spring 32 and thereby also to thepresser foot 15.

The presser bar lifting cam 26 is affixed to the stud shaft 27 whichalso has affixed to it a lever arm 37 for rotation with the presser barlifting cam. The opposite end of lever arm 37 is pivoted freely as at 38to a connecting link 39. The opposite end of the connecting link 39 isslotted 40 inwardly of its end for free travel on a pin 43 affixed to anactuating lever 44. The actuating lever is pivoted to the frame of thesewing machine at 45 and has at its lower extremity an actuating tab 46disposed below the sewing machine head and readily accessible from thesewing area.

OPERATION 0F THE FIRST EMBODIMENT FIGS. 1 and 2 show the presser foot inthe down position and in the up position,.respectively. In all positionsof the presser bar 20 the coil spring 32 exerts forces on the presserbar to move it in the downwardly direction. In the position shown inFIG. 1 the block 25 and the presser bar lifting cam 26 are out ofengagement and this force is transmitted to the presser foot 15. In theposition shown in FIG. 2 the presser foot is held stable and in the upposition by the restraint imposed on the presser bar lifting lever 30 bythe tang 29 while the point of contact between the presser bar liftingcam 26 and the block 25 is in the beyond center position relative to thestud shaft 27. As indicated in FIG. 3 depressing the actuating tab 46 ofthe actuating lever 44 will cause the actuating lever to rotate in acounterclockwise direction, lifting the connecting link 39 therebycausing the lever arm 37, stud shaft 27, and presser bar lifting cam 26to rotate in a clockwise direction. The condition indicated in FIG. 3 isunstable in that the presser bar lifting lever is not restrained and thepoint of contact between the presser bar lifting cam 26 and the block 25is in the beyond center position relative to the stud shaft 27.Decreasing pressure gradually on the actuating tab 46 will allow thepresser foot 15 to gently come down on to the material to be sewn. Whilethe presser foot is seated as indicated in FIG. 1, it will be obviousthat depressing the actuating tab 46 will cause the presser foot 15 tobe raised sufficiently to move the work material therebeneath.

DESCRIPTION OF THE SECOND EMBODIMENT In FIG. 4 is shown a modified formof the invention in a head portion 11 of a sewing machine similar tothat shown in FIG. 1. Identical parts in the two machines are given thesame numbers to preserve their identity. Thus the head portion 11overhangs a work supporting plate 13 through which projects a feed dog14 of a work feeding mechanism. A presser foot assembly, l5, l6 and 17are afiixed to a presser bar 20 by a knurled screw 21, the presser barbeing journaled in a bushing portion 22 of a needle bar frame 28 affixedto the head portion 11 of the sewing machine by screws 23. A block 25 isaffixed to the presser bar above the bushing portion 22, the blockhaving a tang 29 embraced in a slot formed in between the needle barframe 28 and the sewing head portion 11 to prevent turning of thepresser bar and presser foot.

The presser bar lifting cam 26 in this second embodiment is affixed to ashaft 49 which has also affixed to it to straddle the needle bar frame28 a releasing cam 47 formed with two lobes 51 and 52 spaced essentiallyopposite each other. As the presser bar lifting cam 26 is rotated thereleasing cam 47 rotates with it. Rotatably mounted on a pin 48depending from the needle bar frame is an actuating lever 50 whichpasses in front of the releasing cam 47 and at its lower extremity isformed into an actuating tab 53 disposed below the sewing machine headand readily accessible from the sewing area. The actuating lever 50 isformed around the releasing cam 47 as at 56 in a fashion to touch a lobewhenever the presser foot is in a raised or in a lowered position.Surface 54 of the actuating lever 50 cooperates with the lobe 52 andsurface 55 with lobe 51 OPERATION OF THE SECOND EMBODIMENT Referring toFIG. 5 it will be apparent that depressing the actuating tab 53 willrotate the actuating lever in a clockwise direction, causing the leverto strike the upper cam lobe 51 and force it, the shaft 49, and thepresser bar lifting cam 26, in a counterclockwise direction. As in thefirst embodiment when the point of contact between the presser barlifting cam 26 and the block 25 is beyond center of the cam and as shownin FIG. 6 the presser bar lifting cam is not restrained, the presser barmay be gently lowered by gradually decreasing the finger pressure on theactuating tab 53. It will be noted from FIG. 4 that depressing theactuating tab 53 will cause the lower cam lobe 52 to rotate about theaxis of the shaft 49 thereby elevating the presser foot sufficiently toallow the work material to be moved.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that in place of theactuating lever 50, a push button may be substituted slidable in ahorizontal plane in the sewing machine frame 11 and having its surfaceadjacent the releasing cam 47 in the same shape as the actuating lever50 viz. with a relief 56 to clear the releasing cam 47 and with surfaces54 and 55 to actuate the releasing cam by way of the lobes 52 and 51respectively. Depressing the push button will have a like effect as withlever 50 of releasing the presser foot for controlled descent or raisingthe presser foot sufficient to allow repositioning of the work fabrictherebeneath.

Having thus set forth the nature of this invention, what I claim hereinis:

1. In a sewing machine having a sewing head containing a needle bar anda presser mechanism including a presser bar, a work engaging meansaffixed to one end of the presser bar, means to resiliently urge thepresser bar towards the work, a first operator influenced member,rotatably supported on the sewing machine, presser lifting meansoperatively associated with the first operator influenced member formoving the work engaging means away from the work in opposition to theresilient means, locking means associated with the presser lifting meansof the first operator influenced member and effective to constrain thepresser mechanism in an elevated position away from the work, whereinthe improvement comprises a second operator influenced member having anoperator influenced portion thereon, the second operator influencedmember being shiftably supported on the sewing machine, the operatorinfluenced portion being disposed below the sewing head adjacent theneedle bar, release means associated with the second operator influencedmember for rendering the locking means of the first operator influencedmember ineffective upon operation of the second operator influenced v 2.In a sewing machine as claimed in claim 1 restraining means associatedwith the second operator influenced member whereby after rendering thelocking means of the first operator influenced member ineffective, thesecond operator influenced member will be effective to control thedescent of the work engaging means against the urgings of the resilientmeans.

3. In a sewing machine as claimed in claim 1 presser lifting meansassociated with the second operator influenced member whereby the workengaging means may be lifted from contact with the work material uponactuation of the second operator influenced member.

4. In a sewing machine having a presser mechanism including a presserbar, a work engaging means affixed to one end of the presser bar, meansto resiliently urge the presser bar towards the work, wherein theimprovement comprises first and second operator influenced members,means on the sewing machine shiftably supporting the operator influencedmembers for independent movement, presser lifting means operativelyassociated with each of the operator influenced members for moving thework engaging means away from the work in opposition to the resilientmeans, locking means associated with the presser lifting means and thefirst operator influenced member and effective to constrain the pressermechanism in an elevated position away from the work, release meansassociated with the presser lifting means and the second operatorinfluenced member for rendering the locking means of the first operatorinfluenced member ineffective upon operation of the second operatorinfluenced member, and restraining means associated with the presserlifting means and the second operator influenced member to allow thecontrolled descent of the work engaging means against the urgings of theresilient means.

5. In a sewing machine as recited in claim 4 wherein the release meansinclude a lever arm (37) operatively connected to the presser barlifting cam, an actuating lever (44) pivoted on the sewing machine frameand having an actuating tab (46) disposed in the front of the sewingmachine adjacent the sewing area, a connecting link (39) shiftablyjoining the actuating lever (44) and the lever arm, whereby depressingthe actuating tab will cause the actuating lever to rotate about itspivot and displace the connecting link and the cam lever attachedthereto causing the cam lever to rotate and release the pressermechanism from an elevated position or assume a temporary intermediateelevated position.

6. In a sewing machine as recited in claim 4 wherein the release meansincludes a structure forming two spaced protuberances operativelyconnected to the presser bar lifting cam; an actuating lever pivoted onthe sewing machine frame, having an actuating tab disposed in front ofthe sewing machine adjacent the sewing area and having a surfacecooperating with the first protuberance of the structure when thepresser mechanism is in an elevated condition and the actuating tab isdepressed to rotate the presser bar lifting cam out of the lockedposition, and cooperating with the second protuberance of the structureafter the presser mechanism is released from the locked position whenthe actuating tab is depressed to control the descent of the pressermechanism or enable the limited elevation of the presser mechanism.

1. In a sewing machine having a sewing head containing a needle bar anda presser mechanism including a presser bar, a work engaging meansaffixed to one end of the presser bar, means to resiliently urge thepresser bar towards the work, a first operator influenced member,rotatably supported on the sewing machine, presser lifting meansoperatively associated with the first operator influenced member formoving the work engaging means away from the work in oppoSition to theresilient means, locking means associated with the presser lifting meansof the first operator influenced member and effective to constrain thepresser mechanism in an elevated position away from the work, whereinthe improvement comprises a second operator influenced member having anoperator influenced portion thereon, the second operator influencedmember being shiftably supported on the sewing machine, the operatorinfluenced portion being disposed below the sewing head adjacent theneedle bar, release means associated with the second operator influencedmember for rendering the locking means of the first operator influencedmember ineffective upon operation of the second operator influencedmember.
 2. In a sewing machine as claimed in claim 1 restraining meansassociated with the second operator influenced member whereby afterrendering the locking means of the first operator influenced memberineffective, the second operator influenced member will be effective tocontrol the descent of the work engaging means against the urgings ofthe resilient means.
 3. In a sewing machine as claimed in claim 1presser lifting means associated with the second operator influencedmember whereby the work engaging means may be lifted from contact withthe work material upon actuation of the second operator influencedmember.
 4. In a sewing machine having a presser mechanism including apresser bar, a work engaging means affixed to one end of the presserbar, means to resiliently urge the presser bar towards the work, whereinthe improvement comprises first and second operator influenced members,means on the sewing machine shiftably supporting the operator influencedmembers for independent movement, presser lifting means operativelyassociated with each of the operator influenced members for moving thework engaging means away from the work in opposition to the resilientmeans, locking means associated with the presser lifting means and thefirst operator influenced member and effective to constrain the pressermechanism in an elevated position away from the work, release meansassociated with the presser lifting means and the second operatorinfluenced member for rendering the locking means of the first operatorinfluenced member ineffective upon operation of the second operatorinfluenced member, and restraining means associated with the presserlifting means and the second operator influenced member to allow thecontrolled descent of the work engaging means against the urgings of theresilient means.
 5. In a sewing machine as recited in claim 4 whereinthe release means include a lever arm (37) operatively connected to thepresser bar lifting cam, an actuating lever (44) pivoted on the sewingmachine frame and having an actuating tab (46) disposed in the front ofthe sewing machine adjacent the sewing area, a connecting link (39)shiftably joining the actuating lever (44) and the lever arm, wherebydepressing the actuating tab will cause the actuating lever to rotateabout its pivot and displace the connecting link and the cam leverattached thereto causing the cam lever to rotate and release the pressermechanism from an elevated position or assume a temporary intermediateelevated position.
 6. In a sewing machine as recited in claim 4 whereinthe release means includes a structure forming two spaced protuberancesoperatively connected to the presser bar lifting cam; an actuating leverpivoted on the sewing machine frame, having an actuating tab disposed infront of the sewing machine adjacent the sewing area and having asurface cooperating with the first protuberance of the structure whenthe presser mechanism is in an elevated condition and the actuating tabis depressed to rotate the presser bar lifting cam out of the lockedposition, and cooperating with the second protuberance of the structureafter the presser mechanism is released from the locked position whenthe actuating tab is depressed to control the descent of the pressermechanism or enable the lImited elevation of the presser mechanism.